Strong winds cause havoc as fallen trees block Huntingdonshire roads

January 5, 2012

Updated: Thursday, January 5, 2012 (10:38)

Fallen tree

STRONG winds across Huntingdonshire are causing havoc to motorists with fallen trees blocking roads all over the region.

The police have issued a warning to motorists after 20 trees were brought down by strong winds overnight. The Highways Agency was working have cleared most of the trees blocking roads but Ramsey Road, Ramsey Forty Foot, is still blocked.

A member of the public helped out in Somersham this morning (Thursday), clearing a tree from Pidley Road.Highways had already cleared fallen trees from Huntingdon Road, Brampton, the B645 between St Neots and Kimbolton and a tree blocking a lane of the A1 at Buckden.

A spokesman said: "We are working with the Highways Agency and local authorities to ensure trees and debris are removed from roads as quickly as possible.

"We would urge motorists to remain alert to the conditions of the roads and report any problems to police."

Another tree blocking Little Paxton Lane in St Neots was cleared this morning but Highways are clearing other fallen trees in the county including Windsor Road, Cambridge and the A505 near Duxford which remain blocked.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue service received numerous calls from residents about fallen trees but officials are keen to remind them to phone the police instead.

However they did attend two electricity cables last night that were knocked over by the winds. Firefighters were called to the B1040 at Ramsey where they found the downed cable arcing electricity. The crew stood by to ensure no-one was injured until the electricity board arrived to isolate the electrics.

A damaged electricity pylon close to Station Road, Warboys, caused a powercut to four homes at 9.30pm yesterday. A fire crew was sent from Ramsey to the scene and firefighters closed one lane of the road to ensure hthe safety of road users.

Ryan Stacey, group commander for Cambridgeshire Fire said: "The strong winds experienced at the moment can cause lots of issues such as trees, electricty pylons and fences blowing down.

"We would urge people to respect the damage that the wind can cause and not to put themselves in unnecessary danger."

Winds of 35mph are tearing through Huntingdonshire this morning but experts say they will die down overnight.

Have you been affected by fallen trees or the strong winds? Send your pictures to hywel.barrett@archant.co.ukk